About me
I have an international family. Dad was born in the USSR, in Leningrad, and mom in Austria. They met in Vienna, where I was born and grew up. I have not lived in Russia, but my dad often spoke to me in Russian, so I know him well. I spoke German with my mother and older sister, and we communicated in English with my twin sister, because all my friends at school communicated in English.
From an early age, I was interested in history, I wanted to become an archaeologist. I was interested in the history of human civilization, how human progress was going in different parts of the world.
When it came time to choose who to study for, I chose between history and international relations, because they are closely related. As a result, I chose international relations.
During my studies, I read a lot about Central Asia. My dad is a former diplomat. He worked at the UN for 30 years. He is also an orientalist. Therefore, when he noticed my interest, he told me: "Yura, you know Russian and if you are interested in the East, study Central Asia. It is a rich region with a rich history." Since then, I have delved into this topic even more. As a student, I traveled through Central Asia with friends and fell in love with the region.
As a student, I traveled through Central Asia and fell in love with the region
After receiving my bachelor's degree, I studied for a master's degree at the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna. He was the strange student who constantly asks questions about Central Asia. After the Academy, I worked at the Austrian Foreign Ministry. In 2017, he joined the OSCE team, where he was responsible for Central Asia. If teams of four or five people were responsible for other regions, then I was the only one responsible for Central Asia. But I had access to the Ambassadors of the Central Asian countries. They were pleased to communicate with a person who knows and appreciates their region.
When the position of Senior Political Adviser in the OSCE was opened in Bishkek, I applied for it and was selected with the support of the Austrian Foreign Ministry. I have worked in Kyrgyzstan for four years. And when he wanted to move on, a vacancy appeared in Astana for the deputy head of the OSCE office.
About the activity
Today I am the Deputy Head of the OSCE Program Office in Astana. It is one of the five OSCE field missions in Central Asia. We have a small but advanced and strong office. I not only replace the head in his absence, but also manage the office. I make sure that our programs and projects meet the needs and priorities of Kazakhstan. And that they be closely coordinated with national partners here. Our main partner is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan.
I came to Kazakhstan a year and a half ago. During this time, we have done a lot: improved coordination with the host party, launched social networks to talk about our activities. It turned out that many people do not know what the OSCE is and what we are doing.
We are creating projects that help Kazakhstan adhere to OSCE commitments. We support the reform processes in all three dimensions of the OSCE — this is security: military-political, economic-environmental, and human. The issue of climate change and how it affects human security and the economy is acute in the OSCE today.
Many people ask: Why is Kazakhstan in the OSCE? After all, this is the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. When the OSCE was founded, it included the Soviet Union. And after its collapse, all States remained members of the organization. Moreover, the OSCE includes Canada and the United States. Any changes in Central Asia affect Europe in the same way as the changes in Europe that we have seen recently affect Central Asia, especially Kazakhstan.
About Central Asia
Before moving to Astana, I visited Kazakhstan several times. I came on business trips, traveled, visited Almaty, Shymkent. In 2017, I came to the EXPO. My wife is also from Kazakhstan, and our daughter was born in Almaty.
I was shocked when I flew to Aktau for the event. The flight lasted two hours: the time zone changed, but I was still within the same country. If I had flown two or three hours from Vienna, I would have been in Paris or London by now. At that moment, I realized how huge Kazakhstan is.
Besides Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, I have been to Uzbekistan. In Bukhara, Tashkent, Samarkand, Kokand. I have always been interested in the history of the Ferghana Valley. And one of my dreams as a student was to visit Kokand, one of the oldest cities in Central Asia. Once upon a time, the Kokand Khanate strongly influenced Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and the south of Kazakhstan.
People in Central Asia are creative. It's not just about music or art. Young people always find interesting solutions to difficult problems. Perhaps the ancient nomadic culture and the desire to survive in a rather harsh climate have taught people here to find a creative approach in everything.
I play guitar and balalaika and would like to learn how to play the dombra. I tried to play the Kyrgyz national instrument komuz.
About working in Central Asia
We have programs for young people from Central Asia. We are organizing courses for a Young Political Adviser for civil servants who are just starting to work. We teach them speechwriting, coordination, process planning, and analytics. A big plus of such courses is also a networking platform where young professionals from different regions can get to know each other. It's great to have a friend, an acquaintance who deals with similar issues in a neighboring country.
We have programs for young people from Central Asia
There is an OSCE Academy in Bishkek, where you can study for a master's degree in three areas: "Politics and Security", "Sustainable economic development", "Human rights". These are the three dimensions in which the OSCE works. All citizens of Central Asia can study there. The Academy opened in 2001. The training is free and paid for with donations made by OSCE countries. After graduation, there is an opportunity to complete an internship at the General Staff in Vienna, at OSCE institutes or offices. Some of them go to work at the UN or at the Foreign Ministry in their country after training.
